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SKARA BRAE AND SKAILL HOUSE
Duration: Approx. 4 hours
During this scenic circular tour we explore the beautiful West Mainland
and location of one of the greatest concentration of World Heritage
prehistoric sites in Britain. We leave Kirkwall, the capital and
administrative centre of the Orkney Islands, and after passing through an
area of rich farmland, stark rolling hills and moorland fringed by
magnificent rugged cliffs, we arrive at the great ceremonial circles of
Stenness and Brodgar. Our next stop is Skara Brae, Orkney’s most exciting
and oldest monument: a 5,000 year-old Neolithic village beautifully
preserved and complemented by a recently opened visitors’ centre. Lying
beside the pretty, sandy crescent of the Bay of Skaill, this ancient stone
settlement was totally buried under sand for thousands of years before
being revealed after a violent storm in 1850. Among the fascinating relics
found here are tools, beads, pottery and whalebone artefacts, spanning
many ages of occupation based on a farming economy. Looking across at the
village, it is easy to imagine how it would have looked all those
centuries ago, and closer inspection of the dwellings gives a unique
insight into how our ancestors lived. The hardship of life in Skara Brae
can be directly contrasted when you visit the nearby Skaill House,
Orkney’s finest manor house built by a powerful bishop on the site of an
ancient graveyard. On our return we drive past the natural deep-water
harbour of Scapa Flow, where H.M.S Royal Oak was torpedoed by a German
U-boat in 1939 with very heavy casualties.
By coach/on foot, subject to a minimum of 35/maximum of 135. Please
note: This tour involves a walk of more than a quarter of a mile each way
from the coach park to Skara Brae over an exposed and uneven foot path.
Flat, comfortable footwear and suitable outdoor clothing are recommended.
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